Love him or loathe him got to give Putin some credit. In the space of a few months he's wrested strategically vital Crimea off Ukraine without a drop of Russian blood being spilt, sufficiently destabilised Ukraine itself to ensure that it's highly unlikely to join NATO anytime soon and signed a multi billion deal with China reducing his exposure to Western sanctions. And staged a very successful winter Olympics. That's some pretty impressive geo-political play there. Bush would be proud.

That was quite easy for Putin to do, Kevin. He's taken advantage of a US government with poor leadership and weak foreign policy.

Is not exploiting your opponents weaknesses a crucial part of the game? I think he played a very deft hand, acting with firmness and decision (Crimea) while applying exactly the right amount of pressure then withdrawing at exactly the right point (Ukraine). And then tying it all up with the deal with China at exactly the right time. I think Prince Charles is right - there is the reek of Hitler and Czechoslovakia all over this. Hitler too detected his enemies weakness and acted with extreme deciveness. Had he stopped there his legacy would now be remembered in a much more positive light.I don't begrudge Russia the Crimea. Nor do I blame them for doing everything short of war to prevent such a strategic neighbour as Ukraine falling under the influence of a belligerent opponent. Cuba anyone? Remember NATO was set up as an anti -Soviet alliance, and it is hard for Russia to understand why it still wants to expand deep into Eastern Europe. What else can it see but a threat to its national interest and security - a threat it appears to have meet with aplomb

Do not believe politics, neither Putin, nor Obama, nor anyone else. Some familiars here, which I know long ago, believe Putin. I'm shocked, because I had a better opinion on them.

A difficult situation is now in Ukraine. East meet West, NATO versus Russia. Russians support East of Ukraine, America - West. My wife's familiar in Luhansk say that Russian military is trespassing border. Volunteers. Off the record. Also from Chechnya.

In city of Donetsk Ukranian military aircrafts are bombing and helicopters are firing. My relatives are afraid very much, because it is happening near them. When my wife's brother saw how they blowed up one of the building of the factory which is in 500 meters near them, he took his wife and two children to the parents, a one kilometer futher. Anyway, they all hear and see aircrafts flying above their heads. Militaries are bombing some territory of an airport. I don't know how to help them. The youngest child is only one month old.

Wars happening because of resources.Crimea - a gas pipline for Putin, East of Ukraine - shale gas for Biden.

In 2010 Ukraine awarded exploration licences to Exxon Mobil and Shell, two Western energy firms. Shell will develope gas space in the Donetsk region. Also Biden’s Son and Polish Ex-President Sign on to Ukrainian Gas Company.

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U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s youngest son has joined the board of a gas company owned by an ally of Ukraine’s fugitive ex-president Viktor Yanukovych and a key European interlocutor with Kiev who was previously president of Poland.The move raises questions about a potential conflict of interest for Joe Biden, who was the White House’s main interlocutor with Yanukovych while the latter was president and has since spearheaded Western efforts to wean Ukraine off Russian gas.

There is a lot of footage from Donetsk.This is a road to a main airport. They call it The road of Death.Listen! Do you hear deathly silence? I remember this place because I travelled there. I was flying to Donetsk by airplane also, among car and train.

You're right, Cor. Very unclear! Some people say about airstrike that it was militias who shooted into the building and killed civilians, and the aircraft striked other place. But there is also a video when you see an aircraft shooting. I can't fully believe in each version. But the fact that there is a lot of civilian casualties in Donetsk and other towns. And that's the point. Most of the civilians can't leave towns

Sloviansk's population is a little bit greater than population of my Ukhta town. Both more than 100 thousands. But Sloviansk's population is constantly decreasing because the town is under fire day by day. Some people are dying, some are running away. West pretends civil war does not exist. I hope the war will end. Sooner better than later. People will have to rebuild town.

My wife's brother took his wife and boys to the south, Berdyansk, and left them there. He's back in Donetsk, with his parents. Nobody knows what to do next. There is 80 kilometers between Sloviansk and Donetsk. They already shoot in the city of Donetsk, and bomb some important objects. In Sloviansk there is no water in many districts, no food in stores.

The Netherlands declared a day of national mourning for its 154 dead. Twenty-eight passengers were Malaysian, 27 Australian, 12 Indonesian, nine British, four German, four Belgian, three Filipino and one Canadian. All 15 crew were Malaysian. Nationalities of the others aboard were unclear.